Expected, Unexpected Church Reformation

Pastor Jeremy Tuinstra With Covenant Church Burtonsville Breathes Life With New Focus

I served as Associate Pastor of Covenant OPC in Burtonsville MD, 1994-2002, and back at that time, the congregation took part in the expected pillars of ministry: preaching and worship, and education and discipleship, and evangelism and outward facing ministry. The church not too long ago aligned with the PCA.

Reformation has come under God's good hand in an unexpected, expected pillar of ministry the past 4 or so years. The January 2010 issue of byFaith, a PCA publication, features the new focus of this congregation: an intense ministry to the poor.

The article calls it a messy ministry, but it's one that looks and sounds like New Testament stuff.

Here are two quotes:

“Jeremy Tuinstra could pastor a congregation he describes as a doctrinal think tank, extremely literate in theology, but he prefers to inspire Christians to put their doctrinal knowledge to work and to be the gospel to the needy...”

“Because this ministry is so different from what many churchgoers expect, some view it as a niche that may be good for some, especially those who are really gifted for compassion ministry, but not necessarily expected of all. It's discouraging to see people accommodate Jesus and His mission to their expectation. Doing church is too often made to fit our expectations of nice religious experiences for us and our families...”

I am greatly challenged by Jeremy's model and faithfulness. God has greatly used him to stir faithfulness to the Lord and to put into practice this central pillar of the church's ministry.

Significantly, the Good News of the gospel tells us right up front what the signposts of the reality of the kingdom of God are. What signposts? It is returning to God in repentance and faith according John the Baptist, just as he was preaching at the Jordan, and getting into messy ministry:

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.” Luke 3:7-14

Covenant PCA Church has made strides and gains in this ministry that indeed are of the expected, yet often unexpected for reformed congregations. Pastor Jeremy is helping pierce through the mere repentance of the head, and he's helping to lead the way with his congregation expressing repentance with hands.

G. Mark Sumpter